The Leanelle
by Little Miss Firebright
Summary: The rainforest is filled with dangers. Man-eating Seviper, poisonous blooms, deadly quicksand, and the mysterious nature spirit known as the Leanelle, said to be able to control all Pokémon with her haunting music. But to save a village, twelve-year-old Milo Woods must brave it all, armed with the best weapons he has. Too bad that's just gummy worms.
1. Gummy Worms

**Written for Pokewrite's Summer Fanfic Contest - Make the phrase, 'Anything can be done with the right cause, and currency' a key part of your one-shot.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Pokemon, I definitely would not make yet another Kanto remake...unless it was open world Skyrim style, because that'd actually be pretty dope. **

****Author's Note: Story is currently under construction! Now that the contest is complete, I'm shifting this from a super long one-shot into a more manageable three-shot. Story content isn't changing in the slightest, I'm just splitting in thirds. For today, there will be a long second chapter, and in a few days it'll be three mid length chapters. Thanks for reading, and carry on!  
****

~o~

The quest that almost got Milo Woods eaten by a horrific jungle monster started with a simple letter, written by a simple boy.

"_Dear Mr. Champion_," Milo wrote laboriously, the keyboard clacking in the humid hut. "_Please don't let Abungu Village be destroyed by those factory people._ _I heard they bought the land, but it all seems real sketchy, cause none of us sold it to em. We've got special fruit here, and awesome gummy treats, and even wild Mudkip!"_

Milo, who looked as dangerous as the average sugar cookie, was a skinny preteen with big brown eyes and a terrible poker face. His wavy blond hair was just long enough to be messy, which it usually was, and his fair features radiated honesty. He screwed up his short nose with concentration, chewing on his lip.

The clacking resumed. "_PS: You can have my rock collection if you help, and my allowance, and my favorite yo-yo." _It was a terrible price, but Milo was determined. The yellowed brick optimistic people might call a 'computer' whined with protest as he clicked send. Milo sat back in the rickety chair when the screen froze, looping his yo-yo. Three minutes later the email was sent, and his destiny sealed.

Voices sounded and shadows darkened the door frame. He ducked out the back door before anyone caught him using the only computer in the village, escaping down the narrow alley to the cobbled streets. No one paid him any mind as he walked past the marketplace, hands shoved fitfully in his pockets.

How, the soft-hearted boy wondered, could anyone want to destroy Abungu? He teetered on the ledge surrounding the lake, but never quite fell in. A sketchpad poked from his beat-up backpack, matching the baggy cargo shorts his mom _swore_ he'd grow into.

The gloomy sapphire waters betrayed the depth of the tranquil lake. His reflection scowled on the rippling glass, unable to produce an answer.

But thinking hard never got him anything but a headache, and he soon abandoned the ordeal. Life went on in the jungle-locked paradise, and a few days later Milo had quite forgotten his email.

The twelve year old was often seen on thatched rooftops, sketching the hidden rainforest village in his oversized sketchpad, preserving the memory in case he had to leave forever. Strokes of his broad pencil captured the squat, circular houses of Abungu, with pointed straw rooftops almost like hats. He paid special attention to the sloping berry fields, heavy with glossy fruit, wishing he had colors to capture the dew-soaked rainbow of leaves and berries in the pink sunrise glow.

Milo finished his sketch before noon, nodding with satisfaction. He slid down to the ground, running through the streets in a burst of energy, dodging between people with practiced ease.

"Hey, Shay!" Milo called out, waving without breaking stride. His friend was tall and handsome, his dark hair carefully gelled to perfection. His painstakingly maintained trainer's vest matched his glossy Swellow, winking with the four badges he polished every night.

"You're going to trip again!" Shay accused as the blond boy rocketed past, rather fairly given Milo's growth spurt and badly fitting shoes.

"No I won't!" Milo said over his shoulder, promptly colliding into a man's back. He fell hard, ignoring Shay's muffled laughter.

The mountainous man glared down at the young boy, his mouth curled beneath his shaggy moustache. It was then Milo noticed lots of adults standing around. They all seemed to be staring at _him_. "Sorry, Mr. Trebond!" Milo apologized automatically, scrambling to his feet.

"Milo. Did you alert the Pokémon League to a wild Mudkip sanctuary here?" Mr. Trebond asked sternly, panic sparking behind his tone.

"Well, yeah," Milo said, remembering his email at last. He wondered why everyone looked so concerned.

"But Abungu doesn't have wild Mudkip," Mr. Trebond insisted, his voice strained. "They're an endangered species. And now," he continued, jabbing a printed sheet of paper, "an inspection has been scheduled to 'evaluate the conservation status' of the village, overseen by the _Champion_, in one month!"

Milo blinked, honestly confused. "But Mr. Trebond, we _do_ have Mudkip. I've seen them in the forest!"

"But not _in Abungu village_!" an elderly woman snapped. "Which is what you told them!"

Murmurs broke out. "I've never seen wild Mudkip," the gardener girl confessed, twirling her long violet hair.

"But a month from now…won't that give our legal team some more _time_?" another voice cut in.

"Maybe we can catch some Mudkip! Yeah, and make this a protected area! A factory would be illegal, then!"

"Idiot, only wild Mudkip are protected by conservation laws! No Poké Balls! Besides, as soon as we catch one the rest will vanish in a heartbeat!"

"If we registered as Mudkip suppliers, captured ones would work…"

"That takes months, and we'd need quantity, and breeding pairs…"

"Milo! You've done it this time, fool boy!"

Milo looked between arguing adults with cocoa brown eyes, rather at a loss, when he noticed his grandfather gesturing from a doorway. He ducked between bodies, but no one paid him any mind.

The rickety door swung shut, leaving Milo in his grandfather's mysterious hut. Old binoculars and weathered maps lay between compasses and leather-bound notebooks with odd scars and stains. A Seviper skull paperweight grinned on anatomical plant sketches, near jars of pungent tree sap and mud. Overburdened nets of stuff dangled from gnarled rafters. "Come, sit, boy," his grandfather rasped impatiently. "There's not much time. A chance is in the air, a true chance…adventure too, and danger no doubt, but those fools won't listen to me! But you're a good boy, Milo. I know you'll do your best…whether you can succeed, however…yes, that's the question…"

Milo pondered these mutterings without much success, his forehead creased behind messy blond hair. He sat on a rickety stool while his grandfather dug through a box of suspicious junk, patiently waiting for an explanation.

"Grandfather?" he asked, poking a metal trap and hastily flinching back to save his finger from the snap. "I don't understand why Abungu Village is in danger. We've always lived here, so how come the land isn't ours?" Most people made fun of his questions, but Milo was safe asking 'crazy old Geralt' anything.

A deep sigh answered him. "Well, this jungle is hard to chart, and we're out of the way. With Route 120 far west, Route 121 far south, and no connecting roads, we ain't got a ranger patrol. Most of Hoenn don't know we exist. Maps say Abungu's property is five miles south, and this land here is rightfully owned by Lilycove Development."

He peered at a berry blender, and tossed it over his shoulder, scowling. "Now they need a factory base, and the jungle is near impossible to clear, what with tangled trees, stubborn wildlife, and the Leanelle turning people around and destroying equipment. Legally, we're squatters, though it ain't right and proper. We've got people battling it out in court, but those fancy lawyers don't bode well for us little folk…"

Milo stared uncomprehendingly, and his grandfather trailed off.

"It's complicated," he concluded gruffly, settling heavily on his mahogany workbench. "Don't you worry. Let the adults fight their own way. You have a secret mission, Milo, my boy, and it just might save us all. After all," the wrinkled old adventurer mused, pressing a treasure into the young boy's small hands, "anything can be done with the right cause…and currency."

Milo peered up, sure there was a mistake. "Grandfather, these are gummy worms."

"Right you are!" Geralt guffawed, slapping his knee. Milo began to wonder if he really was crazy. "And to a Mudkip, it's the most valuable currency in the world! Lead enough wild Mudkip here using gummy as bait, and we'll supply em with endless gummy and protection from predators, saving the village to boot! With the Champion as our witness, Abungu will be declared a Mudkip conservation area."

Milo thought very hard. "Are the gummy worms currency, or the Mudkip?"

"Both," Geralt said, with a gap-toothed grin. "Gathering Mudkip is a cause, with gummy as currency, and Mudkip are a currency for the village's cause. It's all quite simple." Milo disagreed. "And _you've_ got to do this. Mudkip are cautious creatures. They're wary of cleverness, but that's good for us, cause none of em will see you as a threat!"

He laughed appreciatively. "You'll need supplies, and a partner. Here, take this Grovyle. He's ranger trained – should keep you alive and fed! He's yours now. I'll pack your exploration bag. Write in your field journal every day, you hear? I'll prepare Abungu for the Mudkip, so you just worry about roundin' em up."

"I can really help?" Milo checked anxiously, because no one had ever expected him to be a hero before. His grandfather ruffled his hair.

"My boy, you certainly can! Just don't tell your mother. Or anyone else. This'll be our little secret, ehehe…"

~o~

"Excuse me, can you repeat your order?" Talia Bluebell said faintly, her ashen eyes wide. Fresh flowers wove through her long, lavender hair, and peeked from the pockets of her frilled white apron. Baskets of dewy berries, shiny gummies, rolled fruit leather, and cut flowers lined the pretty stall, but the gardener girl was more beautiful than them all, at least to Milo.

"Liechi berry gummy worms," the gentle blond boy repeated earnestly, a bit dazed by her perfume. He held out a small fortune in his grandfather's money. "Two thousand of them, please." Many rare berries grew in Abungu, but Mudkip apparently loved Liechi most of all.

"Of course. I…just give me a moment!"

Stacks of peachy gummy in plastic boxes appeared on the counter, but before long someone else took notice of the strange transaction.

"What are you up to?" Shay asked at Milo's shoulder, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. Milo jumped, fixing an innocent look on his face.

"Nothing! I'm just super hungry!"

"You're an awful liar, Milo! Quit doing that with your face!"

"Ah, excuse me," Talia tried to break in, while Shay pinched Milo's cheeks and got his toes stepped on in retaliation. "Your order is ready…um…"

"I want the _truth_, shortie!"

"Fine!" Milo relented, backing away with a huff. "I'm going on a _nature walk_. Grandfather gave me a Grovyle, and I'm gonna train him! So there," he added on haughtily. "These are snacks." It was a secret mission, after all.

After the shock had died down a bit, and Milo's new Grovyle was shown off properly, his friend begrudgingly accepted his story. Shay arched an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Setting aside your future cavities…what about the Leanelle?"

A chill shivered up Milo's spine. "She…she's just a jungle legend, right?"

"Oh, no," Shay retorted wickedly. "The Leanelle is a real monster, all right. They say she's a nature spirit who controls all wild Pokémon using mystic power! Anyone venturing into deep forest will be turned around by illusions and magic. Terrible things happen to those who harm the trees or hunt rare Pokémon…_awful_ things!"

"Shay Skylark, you quit that!" Talia scolded, smacking his arm with a rag. She turned to Milo. "The Leanelle isn't all bad. She protects the forest, and sometimes delivers rare plants to my garden in the woods. Good, kind people have nothing to fear. So I'm sure _you'll_ be just fine." She shot a pointed look at Shay.

"What kinds of things does she do to hunters?" Milo whispered anxiously, as Talia turned to another customer. Shay shrugged.

"Leaves them at the edge of the forest in their underpants, scribbles on their faces, stuff like that."

"_That isn't terrible!_"

Milo didn't know what to think, especially when Shay added on tales of strange winds, glowing relics, and insisted the Leanelle ate hunter's Pokémon as punishment for striking against her.

It was with no small amount of trepidation he found himself standing on the edge of the rainforest, with twenty pounds of gummy worms in an oversized backpack, a cryptic leather map, and the fate of the village weighing down his small shoulders.

The rainforest loomed before him, a shadowed emerald maze which had claimed the lives and sanity of countless travelers.

Milo swallowed once, his face pale, and stepped into the deep unknown.

~o~

Lantern light spilled over the coarse paper as Milo wrote, hunched against the gloom of the rainforest's eternal green twilight. The sturdy leather journal seemed too perfect to write in, but his grandfather had been very clear. Adventures had to be chronicled, or they didn't count! His shaky words seemed to match the tremulous beat of his heart.

_-The jungle is scarier when I'm alone._

_Me and Shay explored a few times, but we never went too far. I sure am glad I've got Ranger with me, even if he's not a person. (He's a Grovyle!) He can find berries, and navigate, and even leap between trees. Grandfather told me to describe things all pretty, but stuff is just green and wet. Everything is covered in moss and vines, even tree trunks and rocks! There are flowers too. I wonder if Talia would like them, but they might be poison, so I stay away._

_It's never quiet, not really. Relaxing is hard, cause there's always new sounds. I'm real nervous, but grandfather is counting on me, so I've gotta keep going.-_

Rustles shivered through the thick canopy, and Milo shot to his feet, his heart in his throat. "C'mon, Ranger," he said after a few tense seconds, his sweating hands clenching his backpack straps. "Let's keep moving."

_-Hey again, journal. It's me, Milo. _

_Ranger and me are getting good at battling. Most times we win, but sometimes we run away. Lots of Pokémon are mad, but some just want to eat us! Sometimes I think the rainforest is alive, and wants to eat us too. _

_No Mudkip yet. I know they're here. Ranger is leading us to the river on the map, so maybe we'll see them then. I miss potato chips.-_

Milo wrote a little on every break. It calmed him down, like he had someone else to talk to. Soon scratches and dirt marred the russet leather book, as pages filled one by one, with strange leaves preserved between his handwritten stories.

_-I saw a Slakoth today! It was hanging super still from a tree, so I thought it was dead, but it was just lazy. It reminds me of my brother.- _

After a week in the rainforest, the rest of the world didn't seem real anymore, as if nothing existed but broad leaves and hissing rain, and the humid taste of lush air. Brilliant carnivorous blooms rose high above a carpet of mossy sprouts, and clusters of pinprick flowers huddled in tiny sunbeams.

The constant medley of feral sounds formed a chaotic orchestra with the rustling leaves and dripping rain. As such, Milo almost didn't notice the music on the faint winds, strange and echoing…

His Grovyle stopped short, listening intently to the whispering serenade. Milo whirled, looking for the music's source, when he saw the Mudkip.

The Mudkip stared back, cocking his head fearlessly.

"AH!" shouted Milo, pointing at the little creature triumphantly…who bolted at the sudden noise. "No, wait! C'mon, Ranger, let's go!" He crashed through the undergrowth, chasing flashes of blue among the roots, Ranger darting between trees above.

The world spun as a camouflaged net snapped Milo up into the air. The Mudkip vanished as a strange wind blew, sending Milo swinging wildly. His journal hit the ground among a broken box of gummies.

The clumsy blond fumbled for his pocketknife, and dropped it. Ranger hung from a tree branch to watch. "Quit laughing and help!" Milo complained, somehow tangling himself worse. Grovyle chortled, terribly amused.

Milo froze. The Mudkip below sniffed at his journal, before turning with interest to the Liechi gummies. He snapped one up, shivering head to toe in shock! Before long, all the scattered gummies were devoured, and the little blue Pokémon peered up at Milo on his hind legs. He leapt up to snatch the gummy Milo dropped, and squalled for more.

Surging water cut the ropes after a few more gummies, and Ranger caught Milo before he hit the ground.

Milo beamed from ear to ear, feeding the ravenous little Mudkip as many gummy as he could eat, until he fell asleep in the empty plastic box. Milo sketched a perfect portrait of the sleepy Mudkip, the mysterious music long forgotten…

_-I found a Mudkip! He's real nice, and isn't scared of me at all! I know Mudkip can understand people, so I asked him to lead me to his family so they can eat gummy, too. Ranger talked with him for a while. I don't know what he said, but we're following the Mudkip now. How do Pokémon understand us? Maybe grandfather knows?_

_We really did it!-_

Things were looking up for him, with his new guide.

Two days later, Milo had his first real encounter with the Leanelle, when the forest went _silent_.

The absence of noise was a physical shock; like _time itself_ held its breath. Mudkip dove into his bag, burrowing down. Milo froze on instinct, his knuckles going white. Ranger took up a battle position, scanning the dead silent trees vigilantly.

Faint flurries of wind carried melodious notes like a reed flute. Milo could barely hear them over the thundering of his own heart. A slithering rasp echoed through the trees, soft and menacing. Movement caught his attention, nearly in the high canopy above.

Shining ruby eyes the size of tables loomed in the sky, upturned with malicious glee, fixed directly on Milo Woods.

His knees went weak. Ice shot through his veins, freezing him into a terrified statue! The wind blew stronger, scattering leaves in whirling eddies-

The monster struck like living lightning, its speed defying reason itself, but Ranger was fast! Milo didn't even have time to scream before his Grovyle scooped him up and leapt for the trees. Chunks of earth flew from where he'd been as wind tore through his hair. The sound of reeds grew stronger, weaving lilting, complex melodies. Shadows seemed to writhe and twist from every side, as crimson fangs flashed and tore behind Ranger's every move.

"Look out-!" Milo shouted, too late, as a scarlet blade slashed from the opposite direction, cutting Ranger down in a single blow. Milo tumbled head over heels on the moss, slamming against a boulder hard. He had just enough time to look up and see flashing fangs-

A booming, inhuman shriek thundered through the rainforest as the creature flinched back. The shadows writhed wildly, and then something caught Milo around the waist. His stomach dropped as he shot into the trees at an alarming speed, screaming the whole way.

A claw clamped over his mouth, and the music faded to memory. The thrashing and shrieks faded, and terrible silence returned. Milo remained frozen until the cautious sounds of the forest began again, an eternity later.

"Enough."

The claw disappeared from his mouth. The Vigoroth nodded to a shadowed figure, and leapt back into the upper canopy. Milo collapsed onto the thick branch, shaking like a leaf.

A cloaked creature hung suspended upside down from the trees by a gnarled staff, peering down at him with empty eyes. It landed softly on the thick branch, unhooking the staff from above in the same motion, moving with fluid ease. Its head tilted, and Milo faintly realized he was staring at a polished wooden mask, the tribal eyes painted wide.

"You're going to get yourself killed," the Leanelle mused, dozens of Pokémon staring at them from the shadows of the canopy. Milo tried to speak, but his voice was quite broken, leaving him gasping and shocked. The famed nature spirit folded her arms, considering the boy at her feet.

"Not a builder. You're too young, and dumb, too. A lost boy from Abungu, maybe?" She shook her head, at a loss.

Shining powder fell like snow from a Butterfree's wings at her gesture, and lethargy hit Milo like a bus. His vision faded and blurred. The Leanelle turned away.

"You'll be brought home safely. While your home is still there, that is…"

"No!" Milo shouted, fighting the drowsiness with everything he had! "I'm _saving_ the village! I can't go back_ now!_"

The powder vanished, and the Leanelle stared at him in silent shock. "How?" she whispered.

Milo babbled out his explanations, gradually realizing the Leanelle was a _girl_. A human girl, in layered, earthy clothes and a heavy cloak! Her terrible mask left her mouth exposed, proving she wasn't really a monster at all!

She thought in silence once his tale was finished. "Is it true?" the Leanelle whispered, turning to the looming Shiftry at her side…who nodded once, seeming to look through Milo's very soul.

The Leanelle laughed, uninhibited and loud. "That's _wonderful_!" she sang, twirling in place. "We can stop the builders in their tracks! The forest won't be damaged at all!"

"We?" Milo repeated faintly, not sure he'd heard right.

"It won't be easy," she warned, pacing the heavy branch fearlessly, despite the plummeting drop on either side. "Sabine will be back! But it's worth a try, don't you think? Oh!" she exclaimed, lifting the heavy mask away. Twigs stuck out of her short chestnut hair, framing a soft jaw and piercing almond-shaped eyes. The young girl wore a set of reed pipes on a cord around her neck. She grinned easily, sticking out her gloved hand to a very stunned Milo.

"The name's Nimi! And I'm the boss, you hear?"

~o~


	2. Rainforest Blues

**Disclaimer: I have not eaten five pounds of gummies while writing this story, and anyone who says otherwise is lying to you. **

**Story under construction! Currently being split into three chapters. Please note this is _not_ new content, for anyone who's already read this!**

~o~

_-Ranger got cut up real bad, but he's okay. The Leanelle gave him weird berries and patched him up. She knows everything about the forest! It's true, what they say about her. Wild Pokémon obey her, almost like magic. Maybe she'll show me how if I teach her some yo-yo tricks…_

_We're going to the hidden grotto, where a lot of Mudkip live. But there's a monster around. I don't ever want to see it again! The little Mudkip from before was so scared he didn't want to leave my bag. (Also because gummies were in bag. He's sure to get fat after that feast.)_

_PS: If I die and this journal is found, tell Shay he can't have my bicycle. It will be buried with me before he gets it.- _

"Hey, hurry up!"

Milo scrambled to his feet, snapping the journal closed. Nimi tapped her boot impatiently, lips pursed. "Do you have to write in that thing?"

"All real adventurers do it!" he protested hotly, matching her defiance. The Leanelle sighed heavily. Her mask hung on her back, the tribal eyes sending a shiver up Milo's spine. She pushed aside a cascade of vines with her staff to clear a path while they walked.

"I can escort you to the Mudkip, but the path is dangerous. There's quicksand, pitfalls, and Carvanah infested waters, and I'll have to try and save you if you stumble into traps. Which means if this is going to work, you can't do anything stupid. Can you manage that?"

"Of course," Milo protested, a little stung as he caught up, before tripping and nearly falling over his own shoes.

Vivid green eyes stared at him. "We're both going to die."

"How old are you, anyways?" Milo changed the subject with flushed cheeks, peering at her sidelong. She was shorter than him, but maybe nature spirits were just tiny.

Her answer was immediate. "Ten thousand."

"Yeah, right! I'm twelve, and you're younger than me!" Milo accused, feeding the Mudkip on his shoulder a gummy worm. Ranger leapt through the vines above, and Nimi's Shiftry watched their progress from the shadows.

"Ha! I'm thirteen. Respect your elders," Nimi retorted smugly. She played three quick notes on her pipes, and a Taillow nesting above dropped an Oran berry. She caught it in one hand without looking, taking an absent bite. She blinked at his open-mouthed stare. "You want some?"

"How do you _do_ that?"

"Training. Duh. Didja think the pipes were magic?"

Milo had considered it, but wasn't about to tell Nimi that. "I thought you could only have six Pokémon."

"Well, yeah," Nimi admitted, hooking her staff onto a vine cluster to effortlessly swing over a murky stream. Milo got mostly over, landing in mud. "But a lot of trainable Pokémon don't want to leave home for a trainer. Lots of reasons why. But I stay in the area, so I've got arrangements with most of them. Certain songs and patterns are instructions. Pokémon learn best with music, after all. My only permanent partner is Shiftry."

"All alone?" Milo asked uncertainly, his forehead creasing.

Nimi stopped in her tracks, bringing her pipes to her lips. Piercing notes rang through the trees, endlessly complex and precise. Whirlwinds careened from Shiftry's leafy fans, catching her song and carrying melodies far and wide on the breeze.

Dusty Zigzagoon popped their heads from burrows, Nuzleaf dashed between tree trunks, and hidden Oddish burst from loamy soil. Swablu and Swellow wheeled beneath the canopy, ghosts materialized from the shadows, and an invisible Kecleon winked into being curiously. Pokémon of all shapes and sizes spun around Nimi, in the air, trees, and earth.

Nimi whirled with a cheeky grin, her cloak whispering around her ankles. "Do I look alone?"

"I guess not," Milo admitted, though he privately thought it must be terribly lonely. "But what about your parents?"

Nimi's smile froze, and she turned away. "Dead. I don't need anyone…not anymore. C'mon. We're almost to the grotto – the hard part comes after!"

~o~

-_Nimi is bossy, but cool. She'd be best friends with grandfather, I know it! Ranger never leaves her side, and he's already learning her song commands. _

_The rainforest is super pretty here, but dangerous, too. Little rivers and streams are everywhere, sometimes sprouting straight out of bubbling pools. The grotto isn't on my map. Nimi saw it and laughed out loud. She says she'll update it for me. _

_I'm too scared to ask about the monster, and Nimi knows it. She drew an ominous black X on my map, and freaked me out saying it was filled with demons and we had to go through, but it turns out it was just a big hollow tree filled with Skitty._

_I will no longer be teaching her the Around-The-World trick. We petted Skitty for a whole hour, though.-_

"We're here," Nimi hushed, peering down at the sapphire pools of the hidden grotto. The shallows of the beautiful spring faded to brilliant teal, and flat charcoal stones made perfect stepping paths through the burbling paradise. The water seemed to glow in the still rainforest twilight.

Mudkip by the dozens filled the spring, lounging on stones and darting through the shining waters. They seemed extra tiny seen from Nimi's hiding place above, their fins comically large.

"Don't approach," she warned, "or all the Mudkip will vanish! They don't even listen to _me_, even though I protect them. Let's work out a plan…_Milo_!"

"Hello, Mudkip!" Milo greeted, waving happily, a box of gummy under his arm.

Hundreds of black eyes turned to the blond, gentle-eyed boy, his smile as vacant as their own. The Mudkip on Milo's shoulder called a greeting, launching into excited babble. The eyes turned to the gummy worms as one.

Within minutes, he'd won the hearts of every single Mudkip, sitting cross-legged while dispersing peachy gummies, Mudkip sitting on his head, shoulders, and on his lap.

"Ridiculous!" Nimi fumed from the corner, enfolded in her cloak. She had to wear her Leanelle mask so she didn't look 'human'. "You're like a drug dealer, Milo Woods!"

Milo paid her no mind. "In Abungu," he began, as if telling a grand story, "we have the best gummies in the world! Dozens of kinds, hundreds of combinations, and…_Liechi _flavor!" Rows of seated Mudkip looked up at him like schoolchildren, enthralled by his tale and gesturing arms. "There's a deep jungle lake near the berry fields, and rivers to play in. Abungu is protected from predators, and best of all?" He leaned in closer, as if confiding a great secret. "We can make gummy out of _any berry_ in the world!"

Ecstatic chattering broke out among the Mudkip. Milo rooted around in his bag, dispersing more gummy worms to the addicted Mudkip. Then he pulled out a silver cylinder machine from Abungu. The Mudkip silenced comically fast, staring raptly as he placed a berry into the compartment, poured in a tablespoon of synthetic gelatin, and pushed a button. The portable gummy maker hummed and whirred, steam venting in a high whine, and then – POOF! A silicone tray filled with freshly made gummy worms, in Oran flavor, popped out the back like magic!

The Mudkip's mouths dropped open, and they went crazy. Little Mudkip danced ritual circles around Milo, while others scurried for berries. They formed a single file line at his instruction, each depositing a berry and receiving six gummy worms apiece!

"If you come to Abungu with me, you'll eat gummy every single day!" Milo finished with a beaming smile, to wholehearted approval, the undisputed King of the Mudkip after a single hour.

"It won't be that easy," Nimi broke in, still sulking. "They can't leave this grotto. I fortified this place, but Sabine lurks in the forest."

But Milo and the Mudkip were still having the time of their lives, and the Leanelle gave it up, shaking her head. She waited until the party was over, and sleeping Mudkip filled the shining grotto, and sat next to him.

"You did well," she murmured. "Have you thought about what comes next?"

The skinny boy slumped, looping his light up yo-yo rhythmically. "I love them," he admitted, looking over the horde of tiny dreaming Mudkip, and sighed, slumping deeper still. "Hey, Nimi? What was that monster you saved me from?"

"Finally ready to hear about it, huh?" Nimi watched his yo-yo spin and return. "Her name is Sabine the Blood-Scythe." The nearest Mudkip shuddered in their sleep at the name, their little legs twitching as if trying to flee. "A real monster. Seviper are only supposed to be a few meters, but Sabine is…_endless_. Her fangs alone are taller than a man, and she rules the deep jungle like a nightmare incarnate." Nimi paused. "Her favorite food is Mudkip."

Milo's lip quavered, but his yo-yo never slowed. Determination shone in his gentle eyes, and his tricks got more complicated. "How come she doesn't eat them, then?"

"That'd be my fault," Nimi admitted, with a trace of pride. "I fortified those mud walls, and trained the thorn vines to grow across the top. There's an alert system using Taillow, which warn the Mudkip if Sabine appears. When I first got here, there was only a few Mudkip left, but they've really grown." She stood, hopping across flat stones to the center of the grotto, and pointed into the luminous depths. "See that?"

Milo hopped over, but didn't see anything except the blue light. "It's called the Rainglow Lantern," Nimi explained. "It's a mystic relic which attracts water types. If you bring that to Abungu and put it in the lake, the Mudkip will stay for sure. We can lead them away, but Sabine will hunt us. She'll never let her favorite food get away."

Even Milo knew what she was going to say next, his already pale face draining of blood. "We need to beat Sabine, don't we?"

"She'll eat all the Mudkip if we don't," Nimi confirmed dryly. "But if it keeps factories out of the forest? I'll do _anything_."

Milo sat cross-legged on the stones, looking down at the pulsing beacon. He mulled over what he wanted to say, but didn't want to be rude. "Why are you the Leanelle?" he asked instead, which was close enough.

"Did you know," Nimi mused, skipping stones over the turquoise waters, "some people can understand Pokémon?" Milo scowled at her. "I'm not changing the subject, hush. It's true, though. Lots of little kids can hear Pokémon, but forget when they learn to talk. And people raised by Pokémon can understand their speech as well! It's not a language, not really, anyways. It's a telepathic field, and once you're attuned to it, you can understand the _meaning_ without knowing the proper words!"

"You want to learn to hear their voices?" Milo guessed, his eyebrows raising. Nimi nodded, throwing a stone so far it skipped to the shore. She grinned.

"I've been in the rainforest three years," she offered unexpectedly. "It was hard at first, but Shiftry taught me everything. I wouldn't trade this life for anything."

"You could still be the Leanelle if you lived in Abungu," Milo said, his expression lighting up like the sun. "Oh, Nimi, you'd fit right in! You could even stay in my brother's room, cause he's not home, and my parents would adopt you for sure! My mom always wanted a girl," he added on, beaming at how well it all worked out.

Nimi's expression stilled. "You don't know me, Milo Woods. I'm not fit to be around people. There's something…wrong with me. Your parents would send me away."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Just get some sleep," the Leanelle whispered, her green eyes sad. "I belong out _here_."

~o~

_-I sketched the hidden grotto this morning. (See previous page.) This place is perfect. Nimi can't control the Mudkip, but she protects them anyways. She has a Marshtomp friend named Arlo, who keeps the little ones in line, mostly anyways. She captured him properly so we could reign in the Mudkip better. Arlo is so cool! He loves my yo-yo tricks, and he makes awesome sand castles for baby Mudkip to play in. They're so little, with big black eyes and extra shiny skin._

_I love Abungu Village, but I'd save these Mudkip if it wasn't in danger. Even if the 'currency' was my life. _

_We're going to defeat Sabine. If we don't, she'll just eat us all, so we kinda have to. I'm scared, but I've got the Leanelle and gummy worms on my side. Don't worry, little Mudkip! We'll bring you home in no time!—_

The ethereal melodies of the Leanelle danced through the forest for two days, carried along by Shiftry's gusting winds.

She called in friends, favors, and bribes, collecting the strongest wild Pokémon in the jungle for their cause. All except the Mudkip, who stared blankly when she played, not knowing what to do. "We're going to have to leave them behind, and come back afterwards," Nimi groaned, collapsing to a seat. "Even Arlo can't follow musical orders well." Ranger folded his arms smugly, having mastered the musical language already.

"They're real good battlers!" Milo protested, helping the Marshtomp build sandcastles for yawning babies. "They just need verbal commands."

"Well I can't do both. And my pipes can give orders for combo attacks, and strategies for multiple Pokémon at once. Plus Sabine can't understand it."

Their final plan was uncomplicated, but risky. Seviper relied heavily on smell to navigate. A Vileplume stink bomb at close range would destroy Sabine's sense of smell for weeks – but there was no way it wouldn't wake up the sleeping beast.

They had to beat Sabine in battle _once_, so they could escape without being followed. But even Nimi couldn't do it alone.

"So I'll direct the Mudkip! They like me lots, and I'll have Ranger to back me up!"

"They like you because you drugged them with sugar." The Leanelle was still a bit annoyed they listened to him so easily.

"Not just that," Milo protested, holding up a finger. "They also like un-clever people."

Nimi blanched. "That's not a real word! And why would you brag about that?!"

That night, despite their bickering, it was time.

The turquoise waters of the hidden grotto bleached clear as Arlo brought the stone lantern to the surface. The relic had no glass, but cold blue light shone within like a captured star. Once it was above the surface, rain poured all the harder from the hidden sky above.

Milo clipped the lantern to his belt, and their ragtag group set off to hunt Sabine the Blood-Scythe in the midnight jungle.

Nimi's Shiftry leapt silently between the trees, leading them towards the beast's clearing. Wild Pokémon protected them from the shadows, led by the haunting melodies of the Leanelle. Milo gulped, leading a school of Mudkip, all huddled behind him fearfully. Arlo and Ranger stayed at the back, making sure no one got lost.

He knew they were close when the forest went silent.

No creature dared stir around the lair of Sabine. The wind itself seemed afraid to blow, hushed and forlorn.

Milo set his hand on a fallen tree, and recoiled from the warm scales. Blood drained from his face, but Sabine hadn't noticed! Her serpentine body lay twisted through trees, with no end in sight!

The sound of the wind pulsed and ebbed oddly, and Milo realized it was the Seviper's hollow breathing…

Nimi landed in front of him, her terrible mask otherworldly in the lantern glow. She pointed at a vine-choked kapok tree, positioned above Sabine's hulking head.

Milo shook his head wildly, his eyes begging her to call off the mission, but she swung into the trees, climbing stealthily towards the kapok. He watched with his heart in his throat as the slight girl scaled the spiked, thorny tree trunk, inching towards the sleeping monster.

She hooked her staff on a thorn, lowering herself down as far as she could, holding on with only a single hand. She aimed the stink bomb encased in a leather pouch slowly, like a silent wraith.

It dropped, the cord unravelling, casting a cloud of rancid pollen across Sabine's nose slits.

Milo pumped his fist in the air – a perfect shot!

But Sabine screeched, striking on instinct without even waking fully! Her fangs tore into the kapok tree and splinters flew as the wood groaned, her bladed tail slashing violently where the Leanelle had been. The great tree collapsed to the ground under the brutal assault, the scarred gashes dripping with acidic poison!

"_NIMI!_" Milo howled. Shadows writhed on all sides, Sabine's body slithering and convulsing through the grass, but at his scream her paralytic red eyes fixed on him!

Venom dripped from her razor fangs, her disjointed jaw gaping to expose her cavernous, bloody throat. She struck like lightning and crashed into a tree instead, the rancid stink affecting her balance! Splinters showered Milo's back as he ducked for cover. "Rain Dance, Mudkip!" he shouted, Sabine's bladed tail whistling in a crimson arc above his head.

A hundred or so Mudkip summoned rain, their little bodies shining blue, and instead of a shower, a veritable waterfall slammed through the canopy, obscuring vision and sound like a wall. Milo hunkered between thick tree roots, Mudkip huddled around him in terror. Sabine's body writhed, nearly crushing them by pure chance!

Dancing music cut faintly through the storm, and Milo nearly sobbed with relief.

Bladed leaves, howling storms, and mossy boulders slammed against Sabine's scaly hide. She shrieked her fury, throwing her head side to side in pain. Music sang and trilled, and Crobat swooped by the dozens, bathing the Seviper in Confuse Rays and careening Swift stars!

Sabine bared her fangs, her slashing scythe a red streak against the stormy sky.

"Ranger, Leaf Blade!"

A crescendo and alternating high notes cut through the rain, and Arlo perked up, water gushing from his mouth in response.

Sabine's scarlet tail sliced down three trees in a single blow, but attacks came from every direction, as the rainforest rose up against her tyranny!

The mutated Seviper opened her jaws, and _fire_ seared from her throat, blasting the trees with crimson flames. She writhed in her confusion, the Flamethrower whipping wildly in all directions, sending billows of steam cascading over the watery battlefield!

Music trilled, and Ranger dodged deadly fire without looking, following Nimi's complex orders…

"Arlo, Protect! Shield the babies!" Milo shouted without thinking, and the Marshtomp stood tall as flames seared against his glassy barrier, protecting the little ones.

Nimi landed at Milo's back, piping orders wildly while he shouted to the Marshtomp. Sabine's fury destroyed the jungle in swathes, from flames, poison, and her scythe tail.

Arlo deflected Sabine's tail with a Hydro Pump, while Ranger peppered her with blows from above. Milo and Nimi had the same realization, in the midst of the desperate fight.

The Leanelle broke pattern for a precious few seconds, and they exchanged Poké Balls without speaking, trading on the rainy battlefield. Their partners jerked, feeling the change.

Her music directed Ranger in complicated aerial maneuvers, and Milo made sure the Mudkip were safe under Arlo. The little amphibians shot water streams at Sabine's writhing coils to help.

Sabine snapped out of her confusion, locking her bloody eyes on Nimi and Milo, rain streaming over her midnight scales in rivers. Music trilled and Milo shouted, and brilliant white light burst from their partners, blinding Sabine momentarily.

Ranger and Arlo evolved in tandem, their twin attacks combining into a powerful cyclone of water and slicing leaves. The surging hurricane struck Sabine's jaws closed from below, shattering her terrible fangs. The monstrous Seviper collapsed to the jungle floor almost in slow motion with a hollow boom.

Milo broke the silence first.

"We _did it!_" he shouted, punching the air, his new Swampert firing victory streams into the air. Nimi laughed breathlessly, collapsing to a seat, Ranger the Sceptile landing at her side. The Mudkip danced weird victory circles around Sabine's head, their ritual motions synchronized. The forest rang with cries as word was passed on.

"Abungu is saved!" Milo cheered, a chorus of Mudkip agreeing with him.

~o~

_-Nimi is being dumb! She won't come to Abungu, or say hello to anyone. She says she's leaving as soon as we get the Mudkip close, but I just know she'd be happy there! _

_She's hiding something, and I'm gonna get her to tell me! Can't we still be friends after all this? We…are friends, aren't we?—_

"Leave it alone, Milo," Nimi growled, leaping with practiced motions up a root wall. Arlo stretched his body up, letting the Mudkip use him as a bridge to climb after her. "You don't understand!"

"No, I _don't_," Milo agreed hotly, clambering up the wall. "You say there's something wrong with you, but there isn't! So what's the problem? Just come live with us!"

"It's none of your business!"

"You're not making any sense! Just tell me what's wrong!"

"Milo…"

"_Tell me_!"

Nimi whirled, snapping all at once. "_I don't know_, okay? But if there was nothing wrong with me, my parents would have _wanted_ me!" she shouted, her voice cracking.

Milo stared, his mind blank with shock. "You said your parents were dead," he whispered. It was the only thing he could think to say.

Nimi glared daggers at him, her green eyes bright with tears. "I _lied_. And I don't want to talk about it!" She hooked her staff in the vines, escaping into the canopy.

"_Nimi!_ I'm sorry, okay? Hey!"

She didn't come back. Milo made camp early, leaving Arlo in charge of the Mudkip, and Ranger lifted him into the trees. He found her staring across the rainforest, leaning in the orchid-choked branches of a koa tree. "What do you want?" Nimi muttered, without looking at him.

Milo didn't know what to do. He wasn't much good at comforting people. He mulled it over at her side, his tennis shoes dangling over the forest.

"They got a divorce, three years ago," Nimi began unprompted, her voice very small. "I heard them talking to their lawyers. Neither of them wanted custody of me. I left, so they didn't have to waste money fighting over who had to keep me around."

Milo thought long and hard, while Nimi remained pointedly silent at his side. "Your parents must be idiots," he concluded finally. "Because I'm dumb, and even I can tell how awesome you are, so they must be dumber than me."

She laughed, seeming shocked at the sound. "Yeah," she whispered, a slight smile on her lips. "Maybe…"

"You can live wherever you want," Milo said, kicking his heels through the air. "But you've gotta visit at least once so I can introduce you to people! My grandfather is crazy, so you'd like him! We're friends, right? Friends visit friends."

She snorted. "You have plenty of friends, I bet. So don't worry about me!"

"I have _some_ friends," Milo defended himself. "You may not realize this," he said, trying to lighten the mood, "but some people think I'm a complete idiot."

Nimi nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I can see that."

"Hey!"

But they both laughed in the end, right up until Milo slipped out of the tree, Nimi caught his ankle with her staff, and he cracked his head against the trunk.

Everything went black, and he faintly heard her calling his name…

~o~


	3. Spirit of the Forest

**Story under construction! Currently being split into three chapters. Please note this is _not_ new content, for anyone who's already read this!**

**~o~**

Milo woke up with a pounding headache in total darkness. He groaned, shifting in his bed.

He jolted up, realizing he was in a _bed_, and promptly fell back down as his head rebelled.

"Hey, take it easy!" Moonlight filtered through his open window, illuminating a mysterious figure. "I swear, you're such a dope! We beat a giant fire-breathing Seviper queen, and you _slip out of a tree_ right after!"

He ignored her exasperation, a sunny smile breaking over his face. "Nimi!" Milo sang, diving towards her with outstretched arms. He hugged the Leanelle tight, everything right with the world.

"Be careful, would you? And I'm not staying, so get that grin off your face. No one knows I'm here." He thought she might be flushing, though the dark made it hard to tell. Her mask lay propped up against his wall by her dark staff.

"What happened? Are the Mudkip safe?" Milo asked anxiously, despite his pounding head. It was an odd feeling, not knowing how he'd gotten home.

"They're fine, so lay down, okay? You've been out for a few days. I dropped you off on your doorstep, and a weird old man has been getting the Mudkip situated. He's good – figured out how to acclimate the Mudkip to people. It's pretty funny, actually. Everyone hid in their houses for a few days, coming out one or two at a time, and ignored the Mudkip except to feed them gummy offerings. The Mudkip sprayed them with water, but when they didn't attack back, they eventually lost interest and accepted their presence."

"You stayed this whole time?"

She was definitely red _now_. "Well I wasn't gonna leave before you woke up! Besides, I needed to make sure the Mudkip would be happy here. The hearing or whatever is in two days."

Milo bit his lip, staring at the floor. "Thanks," he stammered. "For helping me, and saving my life, and…well, for everything. I definitely would have died without you and Ranger."

"Accurate." But Nimi grinned. "We can trade back if you want. Ranger is amazing, but he'd be a huge help to you in the jungle."

"And give up Arlo? No way! He's so cool! Besides, we'll still see each other, right?"

"Sure, sometimes." Nimi slipped her Leanelle mask on, brushing out her cloak. She looked like a real nature spirit, her feathery outline silhouetted against the moon. "Later, Milo."

He swallowed past a lump in his throat as she dropped out his window like a wraith.

"Bye."

~o~

"You did _not_ meet the Leanelle!" Shay accused, for the ninth time. "I don't believe it."

"She's my friend," Milo said, beaming happily. "And there was a giant Seviper, taller than the biggest trees in the forest, and she breathed _fire_!"

"You must have hit your head harder than you thought."

"I'm telling you, it's true!" Milo insisted, while they walked to the lake. The entire village was there, talking in hushed voices. An electric thrum of excitement hung in the air like a cloud. Milo's grandfather gave him a conspiratorial grin, despite the lecture of a lifetime he'd gotten from his daughter.

Mudkip poked their heads out of the water, and played under the new docks. Newly widened rivers allowed them to live throughout the village, near Liechi trees and in hollow clay habitats. They loved the gummy stand most of all, ignoring the berries and flowers also sold there. Talia was teaching them to bring her freshwater pearls and nuggets in exchange for the best gummies.

Rhythmic thumping echoed over the forest, growing steadily louder, and a black helicopter crested over the tree line. The wind sent scurrying ripples and waves over the still lake, the drone rising to a fever pitch. Milo clapped his hands over his ears as the machine landed on the banks.

Official looking men and women in suits exited the plane, along with the disgruntled development foreman in a sweaty orange vest. Last, a silver haired man stepped onto the banks, his clear gaze radiating authority and strength.

Milo gulped, his knees trembling. But it was all going to be okay, because Abungu was going to be a Mudkip preservation area-

Milo's mouth dropped. "Where are the Mudkip?" he whispered urgently, tugging on Shay's sleeve.

The dark haired teen jerked, looking at the now _empty_ surface. "Crap! The noise must've spooked them! Hey, Milo, where are you going?"

"I'll be right back!" Milo shouted, running at full tilt back into Abungu, praying he wouldn't trip and fall.

The helicopter cut its engine. The Champion of Hoenn shook the mayor's hand, his steel blue eyes warm. "W-W-Welcome to Abungu!" the bespectacled mayor stammered, his balding head sweating profusely. Steven nodded, casting his gaze over the jungle village.

"Thank you for having me. We're here to evaluate the status of the wild Mudkip in this area, to see if the quantity is sufficient to place the area under ecological protection."

"Uh…about that," the mayor stuttered, looking terribly embarrassed. "They're here, but they seem to be…hiding. All of them."

The stocky development foreman blustered at this, his pudgy cheeks going red. "There are no wild Mudkip here!" he shouted, scaring a few Mudkip who had nearly surfaced back into the deep lake. "You're all frauds, and _squatters_, trying to discredit an honest corporation with lies, and-and ridiculousness!"

Footsteps pattered down the docks. Several people turned, in time to see Milo Woods bolting back from Abungu, a jiggling gummy Mudkip held over his head. The pink concoction wiggled grandly as he ran. "Mudkip, look!" the boy shouted, raising the treasure high on the edge of the docks!

And then – Mudkip popped up from the lake, appeared from behind trees, under the docks, and from the eaves of buildings. Mudkip, from every conceivable hiding place, even behind people! The foreman screamed, as hundreds of them seemed to come from everywhere all at the same second!

Steven Stone took one look at the Mudkip and laughed. "I'd say that settles it, don't you agree, Wallace?"

"No doubt about it," the fabulous water master agreed, attracting a tottering baby Mudkip with a wiggling gummy worm. "I see a few eggs in the lake, and I'll bet there's more further down. This is a Mudkip habitat, alright."

"T-This is _outrageous_!"

"It's perfectly legal," Steven retorted mildly. "With my authority as Champion, I hereby declare Abungu Village an ecological sanctuary."

Villagers cheered and clapped. Milo's parents hugged each other tight, tears glinting on their cheeks, and his grandfather clapped him on the back. "You did good, my boy, very good indeed…"

"Hold on!"

Shiftry bounded to the middle of the crowd, the Leanelle herself sliding off his back to face the Champion. She took off her tribal mask, her determined face quite pale. Whispers broke out among the townsfolk, but she soldiered on.

"Now that the build location is changed, they're gonna try and make a factory somewhere nearby! But if the area is a landmark, the entire forest would be marked as historic importance to Hoenn, right?"

Steven's eyebrows shot up, not sure what to make of the wild girl. "It would," he agreed.

Nimi flushed, the whispers and stares getting to her. "There's a temple in the forest. An incredible one, guarded by illusions and…and _strange_ power. I'm sure we could find it again!"

Milo perked up with a sharp breath. We?

The Champion exchanged glances with Wallace. "We can delay all building for three months. You'll have until then to discover the location, miss..."

"My name is Nimi," she said, planting her staff and standing tall. "The Leanelle, and protector of this forest!"

Shay looked rather faint. "He was telling the truth! I don't believe it." His Swellow whistled agreement.

Mudkip devoured the gummy, specially made by Talia the night before, and Milo remembered his promise. "Hey, Mr. Champion!" he called out, skidding to a stop in front of him. He seemed much taller and more commanding up close! Milo quelled the pain in his heart, gritted his teeth, and held out his favorite yo-yo, the one with red stripes. "For you! I said you could have it, so here you go!"

Steven Stone smiled, closing Milo's hand back around his favorite toy. "The smiles of your people are all the thanks I need. Abungu Village earned its freedom, ten times over. I'll be sure to testify on behalf of your village, to restore its rightful ownership."

Milo's brown eyes went huge, his voice thick with awe. "Thank you so much!" Wallace nodded with satisfaction at his friend's cool answer. Milo remembered the rest of his email. "Oh! But what about my rock collection? Do you want that?"

The Champion blinked. "…what kinds of rocks do you have?"

"_Steven, NO!"_

The Champion shot a look at his friend. "I would of course _trade_ you for them," he said pointedly, his voice wounded. Milo fetched his collection, and they discussed each stone earnestly while the men in suits finished their inspections. In the end, Milo handed over three rainforest stones, getting a plain Poké Ball in exchange. "Take good care of that Rockruff. He likes playing fetch with round rocks."

"Thanks, Mr. Champion!" Milo said, grinning huge while he waved goodbye. A finger tapped his shoulder. Milo turned around, and Talia kissed his cheek.

"That's for saving the village," the pretty gardener girl said with a sunny smile. Milo grinned like an idiot, promising himself he'd never wash his face again.

~o~

-_We saved the village! Arlo is so happy, and he gets along great with my new Rockruff! Nimi was super embarrassed around all the people, but my mom invited her to dinner to say thanks for taking care of me, so she stayed for a little while. She told my mom some stuff about her parents. I've never seen mom so mad before. She told Nimi she could stay forever on the spot. (I knew she would.) Nimi says she'll think about it, but she sure hugged my mom a long time. My dad likes her mask, and she talked to him about it for ages. She hasn't met Grandfather yet, but they'll be unstoppable once they become friends. _

_I don't think she likes Shay very much. When she met him, she went completely red, and didn't say a single word. She brushed the twigs out of her hair right after, and was snippy when I asked her why. _

_We're going on another adventure, so I'll keep writing in this expedition journal! We can do anything together, with the right cause and gummy worms!-_

"Milo, don't forget your water bottle! You take care of him, you hear?" his mom fretted, addressing Arlo. The Swampert rumbled, bumping his head fondly against his trainer.

"Mom, I'm fine! I'm an adventurer, you know?"

"I'll take care of him, Mrs. Woods!" Shay called out, brushing his already perfect hair. "I am a fantastic trainer after all."

"I made you all some lunches. Be safe!" Talia fretted, wringing her hands in her white apron. Milo waved at her from Arlo's back.

"Thanks a ton!"

Wind blew, carrying the sound of chimes. Nimi landed on the edge of the forest in her billowing cloak and mask, rising from a crouch. She lifted the mask, regarding their group with almond shaped eyes. "Listen up, troops! The temple is deep within the jungle…the journey will be dangerous, but we have a forest to save! Failure is not an option! Do you hear me?"

A chorus of 'yes' answered her, from Milo, Shay, and a nervous red head named Mason, who'd been sent by the Champion as a photographer. He was apparently a capable battler, but had never been in the jungle before.

Alright, then!" Nimi proclaimed, grinning wide as she raised her staff high, their gathered Pokémon calling out a battle cry. "Let's go!"

They set off, into the jungle and towards a new adventure, leaving behind a Mudkip sanctuary called Abungu Village.

~o~


End file.
